blogging by Andrew Wickliffe
Bryan Talbot
The Unwritten 31.5 (January 2012)
Carey–with plotting assistance from Gross–internally spins off Unwritten with these .5s. I’m guessing, anyway; this one is my first .5. Carey uses Wilson Taylor’s journals investigating the Cabal’s history. Michael Kaluta handles the art on the first story, regarding Pullman silencing some monks in ancient China. It’s a decent story with a good twist at […]
MoreThe Tale of One Bad Rat (1994-95)
I read The Tale of One Bad Rat in one sitting. It was originally published as a limited series, but it’s in three parts and the first part is too long for an issue so it didn’t seem like a natural stopping point. Talbot weighs the book uniquely, with the first act taking far longer […]
MoreThe Dead Boy Detectives 4 (November 2001)
As expected, the series comes to a solid, if unspectacular, conclusion. It seems like Brubaker front-loaded a little, filling the first issue with content and having to pad a little throughout the remainder. There’s not really much memorable about the issue, storytelling wise–it’s never clearly stated why kids can see the ghosts, for example, while […]
MoreThe Dead Boy Detectives 3 (October 2001)
And here’s where there’s some more connection to The Sandman series (I think, not really knowing, but they spend some time talking about people who aren’t in this book, so I assume they’re in the Sandman book). Again, I’m not sure how Brubaker’s writing the leads. They’re so naive, even when they’re impaired, it’s hard […]
MoreThe Dead Boy Detectives 2 (September 2001)
Ah, perhaps my apprehension comes from this issue… it’s not bad at all, but it’s more focused on the backstory of a supporting cast member than it is on the two leads (who act really silly at one point, playing dress-up with wooden swords, an activity I associate much more with eight year-olds than the […]
MoreThe Dead Boy Detectives 1 (August 2001)
I’ve read The Dead Boy Detectives before and I remember it not working out, but this first issue is fantastic. Brubaker brings a fairy tale slash Mark Twain feel to the story and Bryan Talbot’s art is, there’s no other word for it, precious. The two detectives–Charles and Edwin, I think–are adorable in a way […]
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